SICILY AND MALTA,

IN 1770, BY

P. BRYDONE, Esq. F.R.S.

THIS

HIS interefting tour, which unites animated defcriptions of places with juft and philofophical remarks on men and manners, was originally published in the epiftolary form, and addreifed to William Beckford, of Somerly in Suffolk, Efq. To abridge fuch a work, and to preferve its fpirit, is a difficult talk. There is a freedom and variety in letters, which will ill bear, the trammels of regular hiftory.

Being at Naples *, in May 1770, our author, in company with Meffrs. Fullerton and Glover, formed the plan of vifiting Sicily, a country little known to fcientic travellers, and therefore prefenting a wide field for novelty and obfervation. After waiting fome days for a favourable wind, at laft they embarked on the 15th of May, and in

Mr. Brydone gives a very unfavourable account of the climate of Naples, particularly when the firoce, or fouth-eaft wind blows. This wind is extremely relaxing, and brings on fuch a degree of laffitude, that neither body nor mind can perform their ufual functions. Even the natives do not fuffer lefs than strangers from its baleful effects, which are almost fufh. cient to extinguish every paflion for the time.

VOL. XVI.

B

a fhort

a fhort time found themfelves in the middle of the Bay of Naples, furrounded by the most beautiful fcenery in the world.

This bay is of a circular figure, in most places upwards of twenty miles in diameter. The whole of its circumference is wonderfully diverfified by all the riches of art and nature; so that there is fcarcely an object wanting to render the fcene complete. Here is an amazing mixture of the ancient and modern. Palaces reared over the heads of other palaces, and former magnificence giving way to prefent folly. Mountains and iflands, once celebrated for their fertility, changed into barren wastes, and barren wastes into fertile fields and rich vineyards. In fhort, nature feems to have formed this coaft in her most capricious mood, and to have devoted it to the moft unlimited indulgence of whim and frolic.

After contemplating this fingularly delightful profpe&t till fun-fet, the wind sprung up, and they foon found themfelves off Capre, about thirty miles diftant from Naples. The night was very dark, and the dreadful eruptions from Vefuvius alone relieved the gloom.

On the 17th, after spying Strombolo, by degrees, they came in fight of the rest of the Lipari iflands, and part of the coaft of Sicily. These islands are very picturesque, and several of them ftill emit fmoke; but none, except Strombolo, have for many years had any eruptions of fire.

The crater of Strombolo is on the fide of the peak, whereas, other volcanos generally rife from the centre. Etna and Vefuvius often lie quiet for many months, even years; but Strombolo is ever at work, and for ages paft has been regarded as the lighthouse of these feas.

The

The whole island of Strombolo is a mountain, that rifes fuddenly from the fea. It is about ten miles in circumference; and its crater is abfolutely inacceffible. In clear weather it is discoverable at the distance of twenty-five leagues, fo that its vifible horizon cannot be lefs than five hundred miles, which requires a very confiderable elevation; and in fact some say that it is higher than Vefuvius.

The ifland of Lipari, from which all the rest take their name, is by far the largest, as well as the moft fertile. By the defcription of Aristotle, it appears that it was in his time what Strombolo is in ours, the conftant lighthouse of mariners, as its fires were never extinguished.

On the 19th, they were pretty close to the coaft of Sicily, which is low, but finely variegated. The oppofite fhore of Calabria is high and covered with the fineft verdure. It was almoft calm, fo that they had time to get a complete view of the famous rock of Scylla on the Calabrian fide, Cape Pylorus on the Sicilian, and the celebrated straights of the Faro, that run between them. At the distance of some miles they heard the roaring of the current, like the noife of fome large impetuous river, confined within its narrow banks. This increased in proportion as they advanced, till they faw the water in many places raised to a confiderable height, and forming large eddies or whirlpools.

When the weather is calm, there is little danger; but when the waves meet with this violent current, it makes a dreadful fea, in which fhips are frequently wrecked. Our author, however, does not think that this place comes up to the formidable defcription which the ancients. have

B 2